Homemade Sugar Cookies {recipe}

Homemade Sugar Cookies {recipe}

Homemade Sugar Cookies for Any Occasion

I love making Homemade Sugar Cookies. You can do all kinds of things with them, from adding flavored sugars to making cut out cookies for any occasion. These cookies have been a staple in my house for as long as I can remember, and every time I came home to a fresh batch, I knew it was something special. Homemade Sugar Cookies are also what I’ve always used for Christmas cookies, rolling and cutting out the dough into fun shapes that after they are baked, all the kids in the family sit down with frostings and decorations to make the most beautiful cookies of all: cookies with heart.
Simple Ingredients in Homemade Sugar Cookies
I always try and make my cookies with real butter when I can. Although you can make Homemade Sugar Cookies with butter, I’ve found they work better if you use butter and butter flavored shortening. You get a cookie that has some crisp, but also a wonderful soft chewy center, which is my absolute favorite. The rest of the Homemade Sugar Cookies ingredients are your basic cookie stuffs, including eggs, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. In the perfect ratios, these ingredients make a cookie that you’ll absolutely adore.

¼ C butter, softened
½ C shortening
1 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 ½ C flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

In a stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms.
Form a ball with the dough. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out the dough on a flour covered surface to ⅛ inch thickness.
Using cutters, cut out the dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes, until cookie is firm and starting to brown on the edge.
Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

Flavoring Your Homemade Sugar Cookies and Storing Them
If you’d like to change up the flavoring of your Homemade Sugar Cookies, there are several ways you can do so. Try almond flavoring in place of the vanilla, or even lemon works well. If you like the vanilla flavor but want to ramp it up, sprinkle the cookies with a mixture of ½ C sugar, ½ t ground cinnamon, and ¼ t nutmeg. You’ll have an earthy, wonderful flavor in your Homemade Sugar Cookies that people love. When you want to store your cookies, you can place them in an airtight container on your counter, or you can also freeze you Homemade Sugar Cookies. I love to make these up just after Thanksgiving and freeze them for Christmas. They make wonderful gifts, cookies on platters, and snacks throughout the season. Homemade Sugar Cookies are really a very versatile cookie for any occasion.

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